Fresh fruit bunches of oil palm tree are are seen inside a wheelbarrow at a palm oil plantation in Kuala Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia April 26, 2022. (Photo: Reuters) According to CNN Indonesia, environmentalactivists blame the palm oil industry for rampant clearing of Southeast Asianrainforests, though Indonesia and Malaysia have created sustainabilitycertification standards mandatory for all plantations.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Commodities Minister Fadillah Yusof said Malaysia and Indonesiawill discuss the law, which bans sale of palm oil and other commodities linked todeforestation unless importers can show that production of their specific goodshas not damaged forests.
Talkingto media on January 12, Fadillah urged themembers of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) to work togetheragainst the new law and to combat baseless allegations made by the EU and USabout the sustainability of palm oil.
In their talks on January 9, Indonesian President Joko Widodoand Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to fight discriminationagainst palm oil and strengthen cooperation through CPOPC.
In2018, an EU renewable-energy directive required the phasingout of palm-based transportation fuels by 2030 because of their perceived link todeforestation.
According to Malaysian Palm Oil Board data, the EU is theworld's third-largest palm oil consumer. It accounts for 9.4% of palm oil exports fromMalaysia./.
VNA
